Modular display racks



Dec. 24, 1963 w. R. GERSCH 3,115,106

MODULAR DISPLAY RACKS Filed Feb. 2, 1962 T Q Q Q Q U a o v m g 0.0 2 v. I Q m v m w 8 Q I w Q N I E i y g l a f! L, g I 3 Q o S: I? n v 1 y/ \r v Q g I a Y INVENTOR.

5% WILLIAM l2- Cireescu ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 24, 1963 3,115,106 MODULAR DISPLAY RACKS William R. Gersch, 501 Madison Ave., New York 22, N .Y. Filed Feb. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 170,612 15 Claims. (Cl. 10864) This invention relates to novel modular display racks, composed of a single or of a number of similar modular units.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of modular units, for forming display racks, which are capable of being stacked vertically, joined 1n a line, arranged at convergent and divergent angles, pyramided with a unit or units stacked on and bridging spaced units, and arranged in open triangles or open squares for ut1l1zing waste space such as that occupied by a pillar or the like, around which the units are disposed.

Another object of the invention is the provision of modular units of the character indicated above, which are simple and inexpensive in construction, easily assembled without the use of screws, bolts, or other fastening means requiring tools.

A further object of the invention is the provision of open-work modular units of the character indicated above which are adapted to be constructed of wire.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of a modular unit of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a display rack constructed of three modular units, two units being connected together in line and a third unit stacked on one of the two units.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view showing three modular units connected together to form a triangular rack;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of FIGURE 4.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, and first to FIGURES 1 and 2, the modular unit therein shown forms a unitary display rack A. The unit 10 comprises four perpendicular vertical corner rods or legs, in a rectangular arrangement, composed of rear rods 12 and front rods 14. The rear rods 14 are spaced and connected by a rear wall or support means consisting of an upper longitudinal horizontal rod 16 and a lower longitudinal horizontal rod 18, which are vertically spaced, and are preferably secured to the outer sides of the rear rods, in suitable manner.

The front rods 14 are braced and spaced from the rear rods 12 by means of reclining V-shaped struts 20, which taper forwardly, have the rear ends of their legs 22 secured, in suitable manner, to the rear rods, and forward portions of their legs secured, in suitable manner, to the front rods 14, to form a pair of upstanding end walls, with the apices 24 of the struts reaching slightly beyond the front rods.

The front and rear rods, at the right-hand side of the unit only, are further braced and connected by horizontal transverse upper and lower rods 26 and 28, which have downwardly extending perpendicular pins 30 on their ends. The upper transverse rods 26 are suitably secured to the outer sides of the front and rear rods, adjacent to the upper ends thereof. The lower transverse rods 28 are similarly secured to the front and rear rods, on a level and spaced below the struts 20. The transverse rods 25 and 28 extend beyond the front and rear rods, so that their pins 30 are spaced outwardly therefrom and positioned parallel thereto.

The unit 10 has a shelf 32 which is spaced upwardly from the lower ends of the vertical corner rods, and which is composed of front and rear longitudinal rods 34 and 36, which extend between and are suitably secured to the lower transverse rods 28, at the inner sides of the front and rear vertical rods 14 and 12, and have longitudinally spaced transverse bars 38 extending therebetween and suitably secured thereto, the other ends of the rods 34 and 36 being connected to the left-hand front and rear corner rods 14 and 12.

The vertical rear and front corner rods 12 and 14 have similar vertical sockets 40 and 42, respectively, fixed on their upper ends and vertically aligned therewith.

The left-hand front and rear vertical corner rods 14 and 12 have fixed thereon a pair of aligned vertically spaced upper and lower sockets 44 and 46, respectively, which are on webs 48, extending from the outer sides of these front corner rods, at an angle which is in a plane extending diagonally from the front corner rod to the rear corner rod 12 remote therefrom and from the rear left-hand corner rod to the right front corner rod 14. The sockets 44 and 46 are disposed adjacent to the upper and lower ends of the front corner rods, at elevations such that when pins 30 of transverse horizontal rods 26 and 28 of an adjacent unit 10 are engaged downwardly in the sockets 40 and 42, as in FIGURE 3, the units are on the same level and are connected to each other in end-toend relationship.

Units are adapted to be stacked, with the lower ends of the corner rods of the upper unit or units engaged in the corner rod sockets 40 and 42 of the lower unit, to form a stacked rack B, as shown in FIGURE 3. The lower ends of the corner rods and the corner rod sockets act as stacking means.

As shown in FIGURE 5, three units 10 are adapted to be positioned to form an open triangular rack C, by engaging the pins 30 in upper and lower corner rod sockets 40 and 42 of adjacent rear corners of the units.

It is believed obvious that many useful and spacesaving arrangements of units 10 to form racks other than those described above can be made, utilizing the disclosed components of the units.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A modular unit comprising longitudinally and transversely spaced vertical corner members, including lefthand and right-hand rear corner members and left-hand and right-hand front corner members, first means spacing and connecting the rear corner members, second means spacing and connecting the left-hand front and rear corner members, third means spacing and connecting the righthand front and rear corner members, a shelf extending between the corner members and connected thereto, the shelf being spaced above the lower ends of the corner members, said third means'having downwardly directed pin means spaced outwardly from the right-hand corner members, the left-hand front corner member having vertical socket means disposed in a plane extending diagonally between the left-hand front corner member and the right-hand rear corner member in which the pin means of an adjacent units is adapted to be downwardly engaged.

2. A modular unit comprising longitudinally and transversely spaced vertical corner members, including lefthand and right-hand rear corner members and left-hand a and right-hand front corner members, first means spacing and connecting the rear corner members, second means spacing and connecting the left-hand front and rear corner members, third means spacing and connecting the righthand front and rear corner members, a shelf extending between the corner members and connected thereto, the shelf being spaced above the lower ends of the corner members, said third means having downwardly directed pin means spaced outwardly from the right-hand corner members, the left-hand front corner member having vertical socket means disposed in a plane extending diagonally between the left-hand front corner member and the right-hand rear corner member in which the pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be downwardly engaged, said pin means comprising vertically spaced pins and said socket means comprising vertically spaced sockets.

3. A modular unit comprising longitudinally and transversely spaced vertical corner members, including lefthand and right-hand rear corner members and left-hand and right-hand front corner members, first means spacing and connecting the rear corner members, second means spacing and connecting the left-hand front and rear corner members, third means spacing and connecting the righthand front and rear corner members, a shelf extending between the corner members and connected thereto, the shelf being spaced above the lower ends of the corner members, said third means having downwardly directed pin means spaced outwardly from the right-hand corner members, the left-hand front corner member having vertical socket means disposed in a plane extending diagonally between the left-hand front corner member and the right-hand rear corner member in which the pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be downwardly engaged, and upstanding vertical sockets on the upper ends of the corner members and aligned with the corner members in which the lower ends of corner members of another unit are adapted to be downwardly engaged in a stacked arrangement of units.

4. A modular unit comprising longitudinally and transversely spaced vertical corner members, including lefthand and right-hand rear corner members and left-hand and right-hand front corner members, first means spacing and connecting the rear corner members, second means spacing and connecting the left-hand front and rear corner members, third means spacing and connecting the righthand front and rear corner members, a shelf extending between the corner members and connected thereto, the shelf being spaced above the lower ends of the corner members, said third means having downwardly directed pin means spaced outwardly from the right-hand corner members, the left-hand front corner member having vertical socket means disposed in a plane extending diagonally between the left-hand front corner member and the righthand rear corner member in which the pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be downwardly engaged, and upstanding vertical sockets on the upper ends of the corner members and aligned with the corner members in which the lower ends of corner members of another unit are adapted to be downwardly engaged in a stacked arrangement of units, said pin means comprising vertically spaced pins and said socket means comprising vertically spaced sockets.

5. A modular unit comprising longitudinally and transversely spaced vertical corner members, including lefthand and right-hand rear corner members and left-hand and right-hand front corner members, first means spacing and connecting the rear corner members, second means spacing and connecting the left-hand front and rear corner members, third means spacing and connecting the righthand front and rear corner members, a shelf extending between the corner members and connected thereto, the shelf being spaced above the lower ends of the corner members, said third means having downwardly directed pin means spaced outwardly from the right-hand corner members, the left-hand front corner member having vertical socket means disposed in a plane extending diagonally between the left-hand front corner member and the right-hand rear corner member in which the pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be downwardly engaged, the front corner members being devoid of spacing and connecting means.

6. A modular unit comprising longitudinally and transversely spaced vertical corner members, including lefthand and right-hand rear corner members and left-hand and right-hand front corner members, first means spacing and connecting the rear corner members, second means spacing and connecting the left-hand front and rear corner members, third means spacing and connecting the righthand front and rear corner members, a shelf extending between the corner members and connected thereto, the shelf being spaced above the lower ends of the corner members, said third means having downwardly directed pin means spaced outwardly from the right-hand corner members, the left-hand front corner member having vertical socket means disposed in a plane extending diagonally between the left-hand front corner member and the right-hand rear corner member in which the pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be downwardly engaged, said corner members being rods.

7. A modular unit comprising longitudinally and transversely spaced vertical corner members, including lefthand and right-hand rear corner members and left-hand and right-hand front corner members, first means spacing and connecting the rear corner members, second means spacing and connecting the left-hand front and rear corner members, third means spacing and connecting the righthand front and rear corner members, a shelf extending between the corner members and connected thereto, the shelf being spaced above the lower ends of the corner members, said third means having downwardly directed pin means spaced outwardly from the right-hand corner members, the left-hand front corner member having vertical socket means disposed in a plane extending diagonally between the left-hand front corner member and the right-hand rear corner member in which the pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be downwardly engaged, said corner members being rods, and said shelf and said first, second and third means comprising rods.

8. A modular unit comprising longitudinally and transversely spaced vertical corner members, including lefthand and right-hand rear corner members and left-hand and right-hand front corner members, first means spacing and connecting the rear corner members, second means spacing and connecting the left-hand front and rear corner members, third means spacing and connecting the righthand front and rear corner members, a shelf extending between the corner members and connected thereto, the shelf being spaced above the lower ends of the corner members, said third means having downwardly directed pin means spaced outwardly from the right-hand corner members, the left-hand front corner member having vertical socket means disposed in a plane extending diagonally between the left-hand front corner member and the right-hand rear corner member in which the pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be downwardly engaged, said left-hand rear corner member having vertical socket means disposed in a plane extending diagonally between the left-hand rear corner member and the right-hand front corner member, into which pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be downwardly engaged.

9. A modular unit comprising longitudinally and transversely spaced vertical corner members, including lefthand and right-hand rear corner members and left-hand and right-hand front corner members, first means spacing and connecting the rear corner members, second means spacing and connecting the left-hand front and rear corner members, third means spacing and connecting the right-hand front and rear corner members, a shelf extending between the corner members and connected thereto, the shelf being spaced above the lower ends of the corner members, said third means having downwardly directed pin means spaced outwardly from the right-hand corner members, the left-hand front corner member having vertical socket means disposed in a plane extending diagonally between the left-hand front corner member and the right-hand rear corner member in which the pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be downwardly engaged, said left-hand rear corner member having vertical socket means disposed in a plane extending diagonally between the left-hand rear corner member and the right-hand front corner member into which pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be downwardly engaged, said pin means comprising vertically spaced pins and said socket means comprising vertically spaced sockets.

10. A modular unit comprising longitudinally and transversely spaced vertical corner members, including left-hand and right-hand rear corner members and lefthand and right-hand front corner members, first means spacing and connecting the rear corner members, second means spacing and connecting the left-hand front and rear corner members, third means spacing and connecting the right-hand front and rear corner members, a shelf extending between the corner members and connected thereto, the shelf being spaced above the lower ends of the corner members, said third means having substantially vertically directed pin means spaced outwardly therefrom, one of said left-hand corner members having vertical socket means disposed in a plane extending between said left-hand corner member and the diagonally opposed right-hand corner member in which the pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be engaged.

11. A modular unit comprising a pair of upstanding end walls spaced apart and connected by support means forming a rear wall, a shelf extending between said walls and supported thereon, substantially vertically directed pin means on one end wall spaced outwardly thereof, and vertical socket means on said other end wall spaced outwardly thereof in which the pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be engaged.

12. A modular unit comprising a pair of upstanding end walls spaced apart and connected by support means forming a rear wall, a shelf extending between said walls and supported thereon, substantially vertically directed pin means on one end wall spaced outwardly thereof, vertical socket means on said other end wall spaced outwardly thereof in which the pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be engaged, downwardly extending legs on the lower end of said end walls, and vertical sockets on the upper ends of said end walls in which the downwardly extending legs of another unit are adapted to be engaged in a stacked arrangement of units.

13. A modular unit comprising longitudinally and transversely spaced vertical corner members, including left-hand and right-hand rear corner members and lefthand and right-hand front corner members, first means spacing and connecting the rear corner members, second means spacing and connecting the left-hand front and rear corner members, third means spacing and connecting the right-hand front and rear corner members, a shelf extending between the corner members and connected thereto, the shelf being spaced above the lower ends of the corner members, said third means having downwardly directed pin means spaced outwardly from the right-hand corner members, and vertical socket means carried by said left-hand front and rear corner members positioned to receive the pin means of an adjacent unit.

14. A modular unit comprising a pair of upstanding end walls spaced apart and connected by support means forming a rear wall, a shelf extenidng between said walls and supported thereon, substantially vertically directed pin means on one end wall spaced outwardly thereof, vertical socket means on said other end wall spaced outwardly thereof in which the pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be engaged, first stacking means on one end of said end walls, and second stacking means on the other end of said end walls in which said first stacking means is adapted to be engaged in a stacked arrangement of units.

15. A modular unit comprising longitudinally and transversely spaced vertical corner members, including left-hand and right-hand rear corner members and lefthand and right-hand front corner members, first means spacing and connecting the rear corner members, second means spacing and connecting the left-hand front and rear corner members, third means spacing and connecting the right-hand front and rear corner members, a shelf extending between the corner members and connected thereto, the shelf being spaced above the lower ends of the corner members, said third means having substantially vertically directed pin means spaced outwardly therefrom, one of said left-hand corner members having vertical socket means spaced outwardly thereof in which the pin means of an adjacent unit is adapted to be engaged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,730,936 High Oct. 8, 1929 1,919,439 Little July 25, 1933 2,435,171 Weisz Jan. 27, 1948 2,882,100 Bank Apr. 14, 1959 2,980,980 Goetzinger Apr. 25, 1961 3,025,967 Christophersen Mar. 20, 1962 

1. A MODULAR UNIT COMPRISING LONGITUDINALLY AND TRANSVERSELY SPACED VERTICAL CORNER MEMBERS, INCLUDING LEFTHAND AND RIGHT-HAND REAR CORNER MEMBERS AND LEFT-HAND AND RIGHT-HAND FRONT CORNER MEMBERS, FIRST MEANS SPACING AND CONNECTING THE REAR CORNER MEMBERS, SECOND MEANS SPACING AND CONNECTING THE LEFT-HAND FRONT AND REAR CORNER MEMBERS, THIRD MEANS SPACING AND CONNECTING THE RIGHTHAND FRONT AND REAR CORNER MEMBERS, A SHELF EXTENDING BETWEEN THE CORNER MEMBERS AND CONNECTED THERETO, THE SHELF BEING SPACED ABOVE THE LOWER ENDS OF THE CORNER MEMBERS, SAID THIRD MEANS HAVING DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED PIN MEANS SPACED OUTWARDLY FROM THE RIGHT-HAND CORNER MEMBERS, THE LEFT-HAND FRONT CORNER MEMBER HAVING VERTICAL SOCKET MEANS DISPOSED IN A PLANE EXTENDING DIAGONALLY BETWEEN THE LEFT-HAND FRONT CORNER MEMBER AND THE RIGHT-HAND REAR CORNER MEMBER IN WHICH THE PIN MEANS OF AN ADJACENT UNITS IS ADAPTED TO BE DOWNWARDLY ENGAGED. 